Martin Bodenham

Martin Bodenham was a useful cricketer in youth, good enough to play for Sussex Young Cricketers, but his forte was football, and he was one of England's leading officials until his retirement in 1998. He refereed the 1997 League Cup final at Wembley (Leicester v Middlesbrough), two FA Cup semi-finals and was fourth official at the 1994 European Cup final between AC Milan and Barcelona. He also stood in four internationals. On retirement he continued to act as a referees' coordinator and also as a Sussex league umpire. In 2006 he was added by the ECB to its reserve list, standing in two university matches before he was appointed to umpire the England A v Sri Lanka tour match. He was elevated to the full first-class panel in 2009. Martin Williamson November 2008